PARRIS ISLAND, SC, UNITED STATES

06.30.2014

Sgt. Joseph Miller, a martial arts instructor, demonstrates a high block to recruits of Hotel Company, 2nd Recruit Training Battalion, during martial arts training June 30, 2014, on Parris Island, S.C. Recruits practice bayonet techniques and how to break free from arm locks as part of the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program, which combines hand-to-hand combat with mental discipline and character development to help transform recruits into U.S. Marines. Recruits must earn their tan belts, the first level in the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program, to graduate training. Miller is a 33-year-old native of Lynchburg, Va. Hotel Company is scheduled to graduate Sept. 5, 2014. Parris Island has been the site of Marine Corps recruit training since Nov. 1, 1915. Today, approximately 20,000 recruits come to Parris Island annually for the chance to become United States Marines by enduring 13 weeks of rigorous, transformative training. Parris Island is home to entry-level enlisted training for 50 percent of males and 100 percent of females in the Marine Corps. (Photo by Lance Cpl. Vaniah Temple)